GARDEN BEANS CULTIVATED AS ESCULENTS. 85 
carloads having been grown there in a single season. The 
soy bean is much grown for food in Japan and the broad 
bean in Eastern Europe. Otherwise the producing area is 
very general, not being confined to any particular region. 
In methods of culture, beans are most conveniently classed 
as climbers and dwarfs. The former, of whatever species, 
require certain treatment while the latter are quite differ- 
ently grown, and require a shorter season to mature. 
With the exception of Vicia Faba, all are quite tender and 
succeed best in a rich, light, well drained and somewhat 
sandy soil, with warm exposure. 
The seed is planted as soon in spring as the ground is 
warm and all danger of frost is past, one or two inches 
deep. Thorough cultivation is given through the season, 
and if rainfall is below normal the yield may be greatly 
increased by irrigation. The Limas are even more tender 
than the others, and it is especially important that the 
ground be warm before they are planted, otherwise they 
will rot. The climbers are planted in hills of four to five 
seeds each, three to four feet apart each way, with stakes 
five to eight feet long driven into the ground at each hill, 
around which the plants will readily twine. In two to 
three months from planting, the edible podded sorts will be 
ready for use, and if gathered as they mature the plants 
will continue to bear until frost, unless severe drought 
shortens their season of productiveness. The dwarfs are 
ordinarily planted in drills four to eight inches apart in 
rows two to two and a half feet apart, the exact dis- 
tance depending on the variety. The earlier sorts will 
produce edible pods in six to eight weeks and from two to 
four pickings may be made in as many weeks after the first 
gathering. 
A collection of early, medium and late varieties, as Ward- 
well, Black Wax and Refugee, together with a few climb- 
ing sorts, will produce a continuous supply from early 
summer until frost kills the vines. Successional plantings 
